Apparatus for producing sulphurous acid gases



. June 29 1926. 1,590,622

- .7 |.HECHENBLHKNER APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SULPHUROUS ACID GASES FiledApril 1924 INVENTDR 5 I INGENUIN HECH ENBLEIKNER IS ATTORNEYS PatentedJune 29, 1926.

1; ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INGENUIN 'HECHENBLEIKNER, OF CHARLOTTE, NORELI-I CAROLINA, ASSIGNOB T0OF NEW YORK, N. 'Y., .A CORPORATION, OF

CHEMICAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, NORTH CAROLINA. I

nrranarus m rnonucme snnrnunous new ensue,

Application filed 11 mv 1, 1924; :ScflalNb. 703,4e1.

This invention relates to an apparatus for producing sulphurous acidgases, and relates more particularly to such an apparatus in which thequantity, tem erature and strength of the gases produce may becontrolled; andxhas special reference to the provision of an apparatusfor -producing sulphurous acid gases especiall designed for use insulphuric acid manul acture.

A prime desideratu-m of my present in vention comprehends the provisionof an apparatus for producing 'sulphurous acid gases in which theburning of sulphur may .be controlled to redetermine the amount andstrength of th in which the heat of reaction is regenerated for furtherindustrial use; the apparatus of the present invention beingparticularlydesigned for, although not necessarily limited to, use in themethod andapparatus for producing sulphuric. acid disclosed in our copendingapplication Serial No. 681,731, filed Dec. 20,1923.

burnin ap aratus or furnace in which the strength ot sulphur dioxideases may be controlled with facility; the rther provi sion of a sulphurburning furnace and a boiler means arranged in the line of flow.

occupy small plant space; and the provision of'an apparatus torproducing the sulphurous-acid gases in which are combined the sulhurburning furnace, the pro-cooling an regenerating means, the means formixing the gases of reaction with a second fluid suppl and asul hurmelting receptacle in 'w ich the su phur is molten by means ot-part ofthe regenerated heat.

and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention consistsin the elements and their relation one to the other,

e gases of reaction, and

Among the principal objects of my present invention are the provision ofa sulphur as hereinafter particularl described and soughtto be definedin t e claims; refer- .ence being had to the accompanying drawing whichshows the preferred embodiment of our invention, and in which:

The figure is an elevational view taken partly in cross-section of theapparatus of our invention.

Referring .now more in detail to the drawing, the apparatus, generallydesignated as A, comprises in its generic aspects a sulphur burningchamber a for holding a supply of liquid sulphur, a boiler means or heatexchanger 1) arranged 'in the line of flow of the gases of combustionfor precooling the same and for regenerating the heat therein, amixingchamber 0 arranged in the line of flow of the pre-cooled gases in whichthe same may be further commixed with' air, "the commixed gases beingthereafter conducted for use in the sulphuric acid producing apparatus,and a sul-- phur melting receptacle 11 associated with the combustionchamber a for supplying the heat to effect the melting of the sulphurlThe combustion chamber a comprises a latter with molten sulphur and withthe boiler b for utilizing part of the regeneratedconipartment-definedby the side wall 10,

the bottom 11 and the roof 12, into which an oxidizing fluid isintroduced by means of and througha duct 13 extending upwardlythroughand above the level of the sulphur bath 14L therein, the saidduct terminatin arrange moving through the duct downwardly onto theliquid level of the sulphur 14. The duct 13 is connected to a source ofair supply (not shown) by means of the pipe sections 15, 16 and 17connected to a 'l" or cross 18, theflow of airthrough these sectionsbeing controlled by a valve '19.- 1

We have found that with the apparatus thus far described, thcstrength orthe sulhur oxide gases produced may be varied by varying the level ofthe sul hur bath in the combustion chamber a; an this may be obtained bycontrolling the rate of flow in a cap or deflecting hood-15 4 or feed ofthe molten sulphur trom the re- To the accomplishment of theforegoing'ceptacle d to the combustion chamber a. To this end, we provide meansfor controlling such rate of flow, such means preferabl comprising aneedle valve structure incluol so as to direct ordeflect the air ing theelongated needle valve 20 extending upwardly into and a substantialdistance the chamber a and connected for open com- 4 municationtherewith, the upper ends of the pipe sections opening into a hood 26,the

- said sections being surrounded by the side wall 27 which defines asteam jacket 28, the said side wall'preferably extending below theboiler and surrounding the side wall 10 of. the combustionchamber a.

, used for other purposes,

The combustion chamber a, the boiler and regenerating means b and thehood 26, are preferably arranged one above the other, producing avertically elongated structure which is mounted on a base 29 fixed toand firmly planted ona foundation 30, the whole producing an apparatusoccupying relatively small plant space.

The .heat regenerated by the boiler b is f a of Silch helalzt bei reerabl em 10 e or me tin t e solid si il hur which i iii troduced in th%sulphur me ting receptacle d; and to this end the receptacle d isprovided with a steam jacket 31 surrounding the same, which acket isconnected to the jacket 27 at its upper end for steam communication bymeans of the duct 32, and at its lower end by means of theduct 33. Forremoving for-' eign matter which settles in-the' sulphurmeltingreceptacle (i, there is rovided a valve connected to the bottom of t ereceptacle, which preferably comprises a ball valve structure 34; and tomimmize the feeding of any of this forei matter into the com bustionchamber at e feed control valve 20 is extended upwardly into thereceptacle :2 a substantial distance, as heretofore described.

For further controlling the character and 'flow of the gases, thepro-cooled gases coming from the boiler b and the hood 26 are preferablymixed with a second su ply of air in. the mixing chamber 0, the saisecond supply of air being preferably taken from the source of supplyfor the combustion chamber a, this a1r being preferabl under pressureand being conducted from t e cross 18 to the pipe sections 35, 3,6 and37 the lat ter being connected for communication with the mixing chambera and extending thereinto a substantial distance, as shown in thedrawings, so as to direct the commixed gases .into an exitpipe 38 whichis connected to the apparatus for utilizin the gases.

For observing the liqui level in the combustion chamber a, the chambermay be provided with a sight opening 39 to which is connected a pipe 40controlled by a quick .opening valve 41, which pipe terminates in asight glass 42. For obtaining access to the pipe 24 in the needle valve20, the latter controlled by means of the boiler b and a secondarysourceof fluid supply, the quantity of produced gas being controlled by thepressure andfiow of both the primary and secondary sources of fluidsupply, and the strength of gases being controlled by varying the floworfeed of the molten sulphur into the combustion chamber. It will befurther apparent that the parts of the apparatus are organized so as topermit cooperative functions in an efficient manner, and to produce acompact structure which occupies small confines and relatively smalllateral plant space.

While I have shown my invention inits preferred form, it will beobvious'that many changes and modifications may be made in the structuredisclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention, de ned inthe following claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for producing sulphurous acid gases comprising a'combustion chamber \for holding a supply of liquid sulphur, means forintroducing an oxidizing fluid into the combustion chamber and includinga central inlet and a deflecting hood for directing the said fluiddownwardly onto the level of the sulphur, and means for varying thesulphur level to vary the strength of the sulphurous acid gasesproduced.

2. An apparatus for producing sulphurous acid gases comprising acombustion chamber for" holding a supply of liquid sulphur, means forintroducing an oxidizing fluid into the combustion chamber and fordeflecting the said fluid downwardly onto the level of the sulphur,-thesaid means including a duct. extending upwardly through and above thesulphur sup ly and provided at its upper end with a deilbcting hood, andmeans for var ing the rate of feed of the sulphur into the chamber tovary the sulphur level and the conse uent strength of -phur meltingreceptacle connected with the combustion chamber, and means to regulatethe flow from themelting receptacle to the combustion chamber, therebyto regulate the height of the molten sulphur with respect to the hood.

4. An apparatus for producing sulphurous acid gases comprising acombustion chamber for holding a supply of liquid sulphur, means forintroducing an oxidizing fluid into the combustion chamberforreactingwith the sulphur therein, a boiler or heat exchanger locatedabove said chamber and connected thereto in the line of flow of thegases of reaction for pre-cooling-the gases and for regenerating theheat thererom, a sulphur melting device delivering to the combustionchamber, a mixing chamber connected to the boiler in the line of flow offrom the one chamber to the other, a sulphur melting device receivingheat from the exchanger and delivering melted sulphur to the combustionchamber, means to introduce an oxidizing fluid at the center of thecombustion chamber, means including a deflecting hood to deflect thefluid laterally and downwardly toward the melted sulphur in alldirections, and means to control the flow of sulphur from the meltingdevice to the combustion chamber thereby to vary the level'of thesulphur in the combustion chamher with respect to the deflecting hood.

6. An apparatus for producing sulphurous acid gases comprising acombustion chamber for holding a supply of liquid sulphur, a ductextending upwardly through and above the sulphur suppl and provided atits upper end with a dc ecting hood, a boiler comprising pipe sectionscommunicating with the combustion chamber and a steam Jacket surroundingthe ipe sections, a hoo located above the boi er and communicating withthe pipe sections, a mixing chamber connected to the hood, a ductopening into the mixing chamber, a vertically elongated sul hur meltingreceptacle located to the side the combustion chamber and the boiler andconnected to the former, a steam jacket surrounding the receptacle andcommunicating with the boiler steam jacket and valve means forcontrolling the flow of sulphur from the receptacle to the combustionchamber.

Signed at New York City, in the count of New York and State of New York,this 29th day of March A. D. 1924.

INGENUIN HECHENBLEIKNER.

